Classic TT & Manx GP

There was a good turnout of Northwest members for this years Classic TT . We also met up with our colleagues from other local Sections, Blackpool, Cheshire and N/Wales, South Manchester, EastLancs and Central Lancs. Its nice to know the camaraderie is as strong between us despite the goings on at HQ.

Also with us was our friend and colleague from Western Australia Geoff Coole. Geoff’s a regular visitor and makes his annual pilgrimage to the UK to see his friends and lap up the racing at the Classic TT . He’s been coming here since 2010 when he and a group of fellow VMCC Members shipped their pre1931 bikes here for a tour of the UK, Ireland and the Isle of Man .This is an exercise they have repeated several times enjoying all areas of the UK. They usually base themselves in Liverpool and have made many friends over the years!

They have also formed a new club in the form of the WA Heritage Motorcycle Club which caters for bikes up to the 1965 cut off date. This is to double their enjoyment and also their riding. A simple explanation is that we are so lucky in the UK in as much as we can ride our bikes where and when we please without restriction, where as in WA they do have limitations!

The weather held out for us in the Isle of Man with most showers occurring overnight. The Manx festival was a terrific event and enjoyed by all, roll on next year.

Alex Graham

Alex pictures are below:

These pictures and videos were supplied by Chris Broom 

Members watched the racing from various locations around the TT course, such as Hillberry, Creg Ny Baa, Black Dub, Bradden, Rhencullen, Gorse Lea etc.

Members were staying in accommodation in Port Erin, Port St Mary, St Johns, Douglas etc. The weather was gorgeous all week for our stay so we all got in loads of miles on our bikes on beautiful Manx roads. During one such ride I was flagged down by a VMCC member Jan from the Taverners section in Leicestershire. Jan’s bike a Honda 400 four had packed in on her with no electrics, after a quick check we found the main fuse had blown. This fuse was a 15 amp fuse, which was replaced, the ignition came back and the bike started, but it blew again almost straight away. My brother had a 35 amp fuse with him so we put that in to get Jan back to her digs in Port Erin. Jan said she was going to Douglas Honda dealer to get a new fuse, then go on to carry out some marshalling. We bumped in to Jan at Peel day and she said she had changed the fuse and also got a couple of spares. After our day out at Peel I’d arranged for a number of our members to meet up at the Falcon’s Nest in Port Erin for an evening meal, that evening. However, one of our members Ken had problems with starting his Honda 400 four, Ken had to leave his bike in Peel with a friend who lives there. Ken got a lift from this friend to our meal in Port Erin and other members returned to Peel the following day to get Ken’s bike going again, which they did. 

Our Australian visitor Geoff really enjoyed his visit to the Classic TT and Jurby Festival and said they don’t have that kind of thing where he lives in Western Australia. Brian